Makeup Shopping Tips - Now and Through the Holiday Season

It’s easy to assume that drugstore makeup brands are cheaper than department store makeup, but this isn’t always the case. I buy a lot of makeup and therefore am always looking to find some sort of a deal when I am ready to make that purchase, so I wanted to share some of my easiest shopping tips with you.

Shop in advance. If you have staple items that you know you will use up and replace, keep your eye out for deals. Drugstores run constant sales, and even high-end brands have website sales that you can take advantage of.

Shop overstock. Beauty brands have overruns and discontinued items available, too. Esteé Lauder and Lancôme both operate outlet stores where they offer 25 percent or more off of their brands’ regular prices. (Find products from Esteé Lauder brands like MAC, Bobbi Brown, Origins, and Clinique at The Cosmetics Company Store, and Lancôme at Lancôme-The Company Outlet.) There are also multiple websites where you can pick up overstock products at a discount; one of my favorites is BeautyTicket.com. The selection is constantly changing at these stores, so check back often for the best deals and color selection.

Shop holidays. As selfish as it may sound, the holidays are my favorite time to shop for myself, especially for cosmetics. Drugstores, department stores, and even Sephora all introduce multiple gift sets that are often a great selection of favorites packaged together at a discount.

Shop sales. The best sales are “Friends and Family” sales and a lot of brands offer them. This is the season where you can expect to see them pop up more and more often. If you search this term in your web browser, you are sure to find a lot of information on upcoming sales from your favorite cosmetic brands. If you have trouble let me know. I’ll make sure to point you in the right direction.

I hope you will find these tips helpful for saving some money on your beauty purchases—maybe you might even find a few new favorite items along the way! Happy shopping!

Read more of Sara's musings at The Makeup Snob